codamedia

Try a "global reset". if that doesn't work, I suspect it's untimely hardware failure.

I have yet to experience one... but that doesn't mean I won't :) I would love to see an elegant solution for this issue that some have to suffer through... because I know one day it might be me.

I love reading solutions like this. Thanks for posting....

FYI... It is common practice for full time players to have back up rigs regardless of their setup. I love how these threads make it sound like amps and pedals never failed :)

The IR is not just the cabinet & speaker, it is also the MIC, the MIC Placement, and anything in the chain after the mic (pre-amp, eq, filters, etc... etc...). When you listen to a cabinet, you don't hear those extra's unless you record it, or monitor it the same as you monitor a direct rig. Therefore.... they sound the same... but only when monitored the same.... Record your amp using the same mic/placement used for creating the IR Record your amp using the IR instead of the cabinet/mic Those two recordings will sound the same (if the IR was created accurately)

You need to test this without changing any channels on the amp at the same time.... Disconnect the midi Set the amp to it's first channel Roll through the presets to see if the popping is there... take note if any are Repeat bullet 2 &3 for the other two channels on the amp If the pop is ever present (to varying degrees because of the amp settings)... it's the HX presets alone If the popping goes away, it's related to the changing of the amps channels at the same time as the HX presets Post your results and I'll come back with another round of questions. Separate questions... Is this a "soft sounding pop" when you change presets... more like a "thud"... or is a "hard pop", more like a "bam". Does the POP only happen ONCE when you first change the preset... or does it continue to pop repeatedly once the preset is loaded?

Is there a reason for making this complicated? Can't you just run the XLR Direct Outs from the Power Cab(s) to the FOH?

Exactly.... I also found a big change on the "acoustic models" when I tried a set of "bronze wound" with a wound "G" just like an acoustic would have. It didn't work so well with the electric models (as I expected) but it did make a positive difference on the acoustic models. There is always a compromise... find what works best in your situation and go with it.

A preset can change a Variax model, and a Snapshot can change a Variax model... but you cannot assign a Variax model change to a foot switch arbitrarily. That scenario is quite easy. Create the acoustic preset, then create snapshots that load the individual models. If you have effect blocks that you want to control via Stomp Mode and don't like the snapshot changing their on/off status, simply set their "snapshot bypass" option accordingly.

A lot of great things have happened since 2.2... In general, your tones should not change, but there are a few thing you need to be aware of. Follow those update instructions very closely. The latest updates have very specific instructions depending on where you are updating from. Don't forget to backup your presets first as people have already mentioned. If you run into issues on the update "don't panic". People here will help you through it Once you get up and running, you may find your reverbs are more intense (louder, wetter). IIRC... it was the 2.6 update that did this, but that should be the only real audible difference you may encounter. Good luck...

That makes sense... I never knew that happens - not because it didn't happen to me, but because nobody tells it like that :) All they ever say is that the Helix got stuck on the "boot failure entered update mode" screen ... they never say they saw the message on the computer and chose to continue - then it hung! IMO - those would be two different problems. The Devil is in the details when asking for help! (sorry, not ranting at you)

I will verify that I have no problems with it... it's running fine here! I couldn't disagree more. I find them much more accommodating than the majority of other company's out there.

When I updated my Helix.... when that message appeared on the Helix there was a dialog that appeared on the computer in order to continue. All I had to do was choose to continue and it went along it's merry way and finished. IIRC... the message on the computer even included "ignore the error message on the device"... I honestly couldn't see how they could have made it any more obvious! NOW... IF THAT MESSAGE on the computer falls behind an open window, or is minimized to the task bar... you won't know it exists and you will sit there forever waiting.

I just loaded up your preset.... IMO it wasn't too bad, just a little "shrill" for lack of a better word. Here is what I suggest with that preset... Remove the EQ at the end of the chain (or at least turn it off to test) Go to the CAB section of the amp.... Change the MIC from a 57 to the 121 Change the distance to about 3".... maybe a little further That change of mic and distance will warm up the sound substantially.... the EQ should NOT be needed.

I know that "free" appears to be the budget you are after, but FYI.... if you own a Stomp, you can get Native for $100. Not only does it have full Helix capabilities, it also works great as a conversion tool. Now... I also know you likely don't want to hear this, but presets rarely work! Nobody owns your fingers, your technique, your guitar, your taste, your monitor setup, etc... The best thing you can do is learn how your hero's setup their gear, then create your own presets! The sample you posted of Exodus... is that Gary Holt? If so... look no further than a Marshall Plexi jump, push it hard with a boost or overdrive of choice in front of it then throw an LA Studio Comp after the amp/cab to smooth it all out. The 2204 MOD Model could likely get you there without the added boost but the tone might not be as rich.

Yes... but the bigger units also have two processors with their own paths so you can distribute the DSP power accordingly. Yes... seriously! If you are running the amps in parallel is it safe to assume you are using "stereo" versions the effects prior to it? If so... you might gain a little more DSP by changing those to MONO version... if that is an option. There are many variables... but the short answer is yes, different amps use different amounts of horsepower. Here is a three tab Excel Speadsheet someone posted a while back.... it's a guesstimate, but may give you an idea of the amount of DSP each amp/effect uses. Keep in mind it is not up to date with the 2.8 firmware. Helix DSP Values.xlsx

Speaker choice is 50% of your tone.... The Fender uses a Eminence Design but I really don't know the specs. Even more... I don't have a clue what the Laney is emulating beyond a 112 or 412 option. My point is... if the Fender uses an Eminence and the Laney is modeling a Celestion you are off to a bad start if you want to get the tone the same. You "might" have better luck if you set the Laney to FRFR and use cabinet emulation from the Stomp where you have more options. As for Amps... the Supersonic 22 is a special beast. It can cover a lot of tonal ground so it would depend on what you are doing with it. It can cover Fender/Vox/Marshall... all really well. I know you say "distorted tones" but that can also cover all the amp styles. Is there a specific sound (artist/song) that you lean toward with the Fender Supersonic. Knowing the tone you are after might assist people in helping you dial in the Stomp.

When I first bought a SansAmp back in the early 90's... I knew amps sims were in their infancy. When I bought an original bean POD in '99... I knew amp modeling was in it's infancy. When I bought an X3 Live... I got more flexibility, but I didn't feel the modeling had progressed much (if at all) since the original POD When I bought an HD500.... I felt empty. Some improvements but many, many losses. Up to that point in time, I KNEW I was dealing with products that would become obsolete! This wasn't limited to the L6 family... the offerings from BOSS/Roland, Zoom, Digitech, etc.. were all in the same boat. Enter the HELIX and the next generation of modelers (Helix, Fractal, Kemper Profiling, etc...) As soon as I got my Helix I had a completely different feeling than all other units. The modeling had matured... both with the amps and the effects, and the flexibility was also there. It was no longer a technology in it's infancy... it had grown up! Sure, there will be a new model at some point, but I do not believe it will render this era obsolete. The BF Fenders did not render the Tweeds obsolete The Marshall JCM line did not render the 1959/1987 (aka... plexi) obsolete A modern custom shop Strat does not render a "50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's" Strat obsolete A modern TS-808 does not render any older Tube screamer obsolete. That's where I believe modeling is now at! As long as this era of Helix (and other modelers/profiling) is still running they will be useful products! Sure, they might become shy a feature or two, but it will continue to hold it's own in regards to tone and flexibility. Just my 2 cents...

One must be careful with this approach... unless they know exactly what they are dealing with. All PA's are not created equal, a high quality PA is made to project.... they sound every bit as clear at 200' - 300' ft as they do at 20'. This approach may force the tech to attenuate the high end substantially at the FOH. IMO... I think your approach is very solid advice when you have to fill the room with your guitar.... I'm just not sure I agree when there is a "quality PA" in use. Of course... you know your situations, I know mine - they are not necessarily the same :)

Trying to adjust your tone from BEHIND the FOH (eg: on the stage) would be a mistake... but that's where calling it a mistake ends. IMO, until you hear your guitar from the FOH you don't know how your guitar is translating to the audience. Guitar players get hung up with how it sounds "to them, on stage" and hope for the best when it comes to getting the tone to the crowd. I take the opposite approach... get that tone to the crowd, then compensate for myself. IME... I don't suffer on stage by doing it this way... not one little bit. On big shows/tours I use the stage monitors (or IEM's).. they are always high quality and give me a great representation of what the FOH is doing. On smaller shows I'll use an FRFR to fill the stage, and sometimes even the room itself when the PA (FOH) is vocal only. When I have to fill the room (ie: no guitar in the FOH)... I make sure it sounds good "in the room" then live with that tone on the stage... NOT the other way around.

There is a lot of coverage in that simple package.... IMO, it's a great place to start. That said... there is no "BEST"... IR's are just about options and we will all prefer something a little different from each other. You may want a mic placed directly at the center, I may want a mic placed 4" toward the edge and off axis. IR packages give you all these options. Learn the lingo... understand the lingo. Once you do, the hundreds (or even thousands) of IR options included in each package begin to make sense.

Upvoted... I'm all for more options.

IMO... I can't imagine "accidentally" adjusting the helix during live use. The large volume knob getting caught by a cable is about the only thing I can think of, which is easy to disable as outlined by Digital_Igloo above. The Helix doesn't have "auto save" so even if you did inadvertently kick a knob into oblivion a simple recall of the preset clears it. That said... there are times when the touch buttons become too sensitive (I assume it's humidity conditions), and my feet (always in shoes) would set them off in unexpected ways. Easy fix.... I leave "touch" turned off, and only turn it on when I am doing a lot of editing. I'm not against having such a feature... especially if it solves a problem for others. I just can''t see myself ever having this problem.

This is an old thread so any solutions here (version numbers and such) are irrelevant. Here are a few things to try... When the Helix starts, look at the screen to see the firmware number... then download and install THAT version of HX Edit and/or corresponding drivers. The two need to match. Do not connect through a hub... connect directly to the computer through a "back USB port" (fronts are usually internal hubs). If it still doesn't work, try a different USB port and/or different USB cable. Once you get it to start... if you don't have the latest firmware update you should perform that operation. Of course, you can't do that until you can get it to connect consistently.

Absolutely... If my DAW (studio one) had the stereo pan option (without a plug in) I would probably use stereo tracks more often.